1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for trussing a chicken or some similar bird.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Traditionally, chickens are trussed manually by staff who are generally able to truss two to three chickens a minute. It takes anything from ten to fourteen weeks to train a person up to the level of competence where they can truss two to three chickens a minute. Out of every ten staff who start on this course, only two or three stay any considerable length of time. Additionally, in order to truss the chickens the tendons in the chicken's legs need to be vigorously flexed to allow the shanks and drumsticks of the chicken to be subsequently folded inside the body cavity of the chicken. The shanks are the end pieces of the chicken's legs once the feet have been removed and the shanks are connected to the drumsticks which are connected to the thighbones in turn.
This vigorous flexing of the chicken's legs can cause repetitive strain injury in the operative's joints, which is uncomfortable for the employee and can be costly to the employer.